Don’t Replace It, Fix It

It’s a pretty simple concept which used to be a necessity:fixing what is broken or damaged saves money.Now that we’re more cognizant about the importance of also reducing consumption, we need to reinvigorate that impulse to fix something instead of throwing it away and unnecessarily adding plastics and other materials to our overflowing landfills.To encourage this habit, many communities have started to offer “Fixit”events for people to bring their household goods for repair.These clinics and workshops allow the public to “do it together” with guidance from experts and use of maker spaces and tool collectives.Check with your local sustainability office to see what Fixit opportunities might be available in your community, and if that is not an option consider bringing your item to a local independent repair shop.Chances are that “old thing” you repair will be of better quality than what is currently on the market—which is probably made of plastic.